The Made in NY Media Center is proud to present “The Doghouse,” a one-of-a-kind experience that transcends traditional storytelling boundaries to create an utterly unique and compelling hybrid of narrative and VR. A

Created by Johan Knattrup Jensen, Mads Damsbo, and Dark Matters, the scenario begins innocently enough – you’re present at a family dinner. Mom and dad have made roast beef. Older brother has brought his new girlfriend home for the first time, and little brother is trying to avoid any inevitable disasters.

You sit down, put on the Oculus Rift and a pair of headphones and are instantly a part of the film, part of the ensuing drama.

Over the next 20 minutes, you will experience everything that your character experiences.

Scheduled to make its U.S. debut at the New York Film Festival’s Convergence 2015, The Doghouse is designed to challenge and then shatter all expectations of what a short film can be and the experience one can provide. The Made in NY Media Center is excited to host The Doghouse for an exclusive three-day run of seatings.

“It started with the desire to understand mother. Her thoughts, her little lies, and her shame. So she no longer could hide behind, what all mothers hide behind; that she gave birth to you. To understand her, we need to see her point of view. And not just her point of view, but also the points of view of the people around her.

That led to The Doghouse, and the idea to experience the same story from five different points of view at the same time. Omni-POV. We call it First Person Reality, because we put the audience even before the first row, inside the character, where the film is no longer fiction, but reality.

In the Doghouse you experience, what the actor experiences. As if you were there. You see, what the actor sees, and you hear, what the actor hears. So you, by the help of the actor, become a character in the film. Like an advanced role playing game.

The Oculus Rift glasses give the spectator the opportunity to look around the living room. You yourself choose where to look, in the ceiling, to the sides, or even down the body of your character. At the same time, you’ll have a true perception of the sounds surrounding you, so you can navigate in the audio landscape. Together these impressions create an experience of being present in the film, like being in a dream, a memory, or pure fantasy.”

— Johan Knattrup Jensen, director and writer

Seatings will take place every 30 minutes and are limited to 5 attendees at a time. Admission to one seating is $15 for the general public and $12 for Media Center members.

Mads Damsbo – With a background in film and media directing and with a passion for technology and experience design, Mads has found himself involved in a wide variety of alternative projects exploring the frontier of new media storytelling. He considers himself a craftsman and creative producer, and sometimes an artist and conceptual junkie.

Johann Knattrup Jensen – Johan is schooled through the progressive alternative film school Super16 where he learned the value of a good story and how it impacts an audience. With his experience in theatre, performance and as a dramatic writer, he infiltrates the core of story development at Makropol.

Dark Matters – Working with video projection, light, and installations, Dark Matters operates at the intersection of architecture, scenography, design, and art. Together with our partners we collect idea and message and transform them into minimalist and abstract visual concepts. By embracing the audience’s imagination, we bring about personal experiences, engaging narratives and unique spaces that make you think and feel in equal measure.